My AC digital clocks run fast. Cheap fix?

Here in the US I've visited a regional system operator and they have a very similar 'clock' for 60 HZ. I would assume all sysops in the US have this concern as well.

daestrom

Reply to
daestrom
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Actually it's a couple of 'big connected grid's, but your point is valid. US frequency, in the long term, is very accurate.

Don't know if this is related, but I've noticed some networks do not have shows start/stop exactly on the hour/half-hour anymore. Sometimes a show runs 'long'. I've actually seen a couple of episodes claim to run from 8:00 PM to 9:02 PM.

Go figure. I remember when you could almost set your clock by when the first commercial break would come in. Remember 'Wild Wild West'? It was originally four commercial breaks and they would put a still image in each quadrant of the screen for each segment. Nowadays a show would go under with so little commercial space.

daestrom

Reply to
daestrom

Read the whole thread. The OP was talking about *electronic* digital clocks. That's what 90% of the thread is about.

One poster only mentioned that the OP should compare his *electronic, digital* clock with an old fashioned synchronous-motor clock to determine if the line frequency really is the culprit.

daestrom

Reply to
daestrom

You are really a dim bulb, DimBulb. There needn't be any moving parts in a line synchronous clock. What can you say, ALwaysWrong? You're simply always wrong. Simply simple, in fact.

Reply to
krw

You *are* AlwaysWrong. Here too.

Wrong again, AlwaysWrong.

No need for a motor at all, AlwaysWrong. You really do like to be proven to be the DimBulb you are.

Reply to
krw

My response was not an insult, you retarded ditz.

Your VCR and DVR do not rely on the AC line freq. So, your entire post where you piss and moan about this "problem" is moot, because there is NO problem, other than the one that resides between your ears.

They BOTH use the same kind of clock a computer uses, which is from your initial setting, and a 32.768 crystal oscillator.

IF the DVR uses a subscription service, THEY update your clock.

Anybody with half a brain does not rely on such a stupid source to "gander at the time" with.

SO, asswipe... BUY the radio clock, and use it to reference the CORRECT time. If you are having problems with your cheap, off-brand crap electronics, use the radio clock to periodically (you do know that word, right?) update your shit electronics' clocks.

Next time, buy a name brand. Coby sucks, big time.

Sheesh, you still have a VCR in your SHIT gear stack?

Why are we even responding to a Luddite putz?

How is that for getting the insult you claimed you already got (which was an insult in itself), you stupid ditz?

Reply to
Pieyed Piper

Star Trek, TOS, were ALL 50 minute long episodes.

That only allows for four 2.5 minute long breaks.

Nowadays, they go to commercial before 6 minutes have passed, and some of the "breaks" last through 6 commercials!

They also often start with "Previously on..." So they can waste away four more minutes of new storyless content.

It really is pathetic that they can make such good shows, but nip away at the actual airtime they give to us. It is truly sad.

Reply to
MeowSayTongue

None of which are regulated to the AC line. Well, at least not those he is talking about.

Reply to
Capt. Cave Man

Pretty silly. The line freq is dead on, and has been for decades!

Reply to
Capt. Cave Man

AlwaysWrong is wrong (surprise), once again.

Reply to
krw

DumBulb, there is no regulations about noise on the line. Some clocks don't like it. You don't have to prove that you're wrong again, AlwaysWrong. We all know it.

Reply to
krw

While it is true that main line power companies do keep the adjusting frequency so that the total number of cycles is adjusted to time standards, the clocks dependent upon that frequency often are in error. Many years ago, I think I saw an error of one or two minutes according to WWV. It is unlikely that there would be such large deviations these days. There also are situations where power is not connected to the grid. I used to go fishing at a place that ran diesel generators for power. I am pretty sure that the operator did not try to correct for phase drift.

Bill

Reply to
Salmon Egg

The DVR most certainly uses a PC clock scenario, and the VCR may as well.

So YOU do not know what got incorporated into either one either, you COMPLETELY WRONG twit!

Reply to
Capt. Cave Man

If it gets thrown off, it is NOT a successful "clock design" and therefore does not even qualify as a clock at all. So none of you idiots gets to call the failed designs "a clock" because NONE of them qualify. You got that, you idiots?

Function is a prerequisite for use of the term. PROPER function.

Which is why you are completely clueless about it. You do not know what the term function means, much less along with the modifier "proper". The latter rings true in your case in particular.

Reply to
Capt. Cave Man

Up to a certain point, the gyro mass of the rotor will cancel that. For that type of motor, that is.

Many differences can be attributed to momentary outages as far as the long term differential you described.

Meow

Reply to
MeowSayTongue

It is easy to see how a single power plant can change the frequency for an isolated system.

How does a "regional system operator" make fine adjustments in the frequency of an interconnected grid?

Reply to
bud--

The radio frequency clocks get a signal from CO to constantly correct the time. But you have asked to solve the problem - not its symptoms. I have not read through the long list of posts. So I do not know if others have recommended this. Early on, many noted line noise as a problem. And that any EMI/RFI filtering by a surge protector is about as close to near zero as possible - and still claim filtering subjectively. Every clock should already contain superior filtering. To get better filtering, a series mode filter would cost maybe $100 - for one appliance.

Do you even have noise? Get a battery powered AM (longwave) radio. Tune to a very weak AM station (maybe up to 100 miles away). As the radio approaches AC wiring or the breaker box, do you hear significant noise? You should not. Better utilities even send out technicians with radios to find that noise - an indication of electric equipment failures.

Before you can fix a noise problem, first you must identify noise as the reason for your 'fast' clocks. One example of how to first identify the problem. Fixing it comes later.

Reply to
westom

Why do you question my ability to be able to tell time? The clocks on my DVR and VCRs run fast. How could or would you know otherwise?

And my Win XP computer automatically goes periodically to a time standard web site (nist.gov) to correct any drift that might otherwise happen. Not my add-on, it's part of XP (as you probably know, since I see that you are a Forte agent newsreader user).

As I said previously, if you would have taken as much time to read my original posting as you are spending on spewing your hysterical insults you would not have made this irrelevant comment. I have already said that I do not use a TV subscription service, I get my reception over the air.

If you are having problems with your cheap, off-brand crap

By what supernatural powers do you claim to know the brands of my equipment? You may not think much of Toshiba, Sony, but they are probably at least in the mid-range of quality for consumer electronics.

Two of them. Enjoy the thought!

P.S. Don't bother responding as I've set up a filter to send your electrons straight to the Junk folder - which is better than they deserve.

Reply to
Peter

Wrong. DVRs have no Internet connection, DimBulb.

Nope. I keep telling you that *YOU* are AlwaysWrong, DimBulb. Everyone here seems to know this but you haven't gotten your hands out of mommy's hamper long enough to have it sink in.

Reply to
krw

Well, the simple answer is, "By raising/lowering the speed of the connected generators." :-)

The more complicated answer has to do with many generators are running as base-load where the governor is *not* the item controlling steam/power flow into the generator. And a few generating units *are* running as 'regulating units', where power flow into the generator is a function of the generator's speed.

To raise the system frequency, the sysop can call a *non-regulating* and has them pick up more load. This slowly raises the system speed and as speed rises the regulating plants shed some load as they speed up. If the regulating units are adjusted well, they will all shed load in similar percentages. The result is the base-load unit is carrying more load and the grid frequency is now maintained at a higher level by the less-loaded regulating units.

You can get the same effect by raising the governor setting of one or more regulating unit. But raising the setting on only a few regulating units causes them to pick up load away from other regulating units. So naturally you call them and ask them to speed up a bit. So 'adjusting' all the regulating units can take a while.

Which way you choose to go depends on how well the various regulating units are balanced and how evenly loaded your base-units are and other factors (hydro have complex water policies).

At least that's how it used to be done. Now with deregulation you have to also consider all sorts of price schemes where one base unit might be obligated at one price while another is contracted to deliver a certain amount of power corresponding to a particular customer agreement.

Also, nowadays computer programs also keep track of various contract $$ and unit limits and distribution line limits. A pretty fair amount of prediction of what load will be needed hour-by-hour and more. Many regulating units now can be controlled over at least part of their load range from the sysop using SCADA computer systems. Of course as with any computer, GIGO (garbage-in, garbage-out).

daestrom

Reply to
daestrom

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